


Positive Reinforcement

by shuyiin



Category: Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 11:17:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11531103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shuyiin/pseuds/shuyiin
Summary: Rikku has maxed out her respect points. Dr. P needs a new technique.





	Positive Reinforcement

**Author's Note:**

> shameless, gratuitous RiPa honeymoon fluff for @zanarkand-babes on tumblr. ♥

  
  
slender hands drifted along the planes of a tanned shoulder, Paine’s scarlet eyes silently admiring wavy blonde locks, released from their usual tight braids, splaying against the sheets and Paine’s skin. Paine had discovered– with amusement, and zero complaint– that Rikku was a very  _clingy_  sleeper. her cheek was comfortably nestled against her wife, an arm flung over her like a favorite stuffed animal, her breath falling against Paine in puffs. Paine was an early riser, and Rikku… was  **not**. but Paine didn’t mind occasionally confining herself to the bed to serve as Rikku’s pillow. it was one of the only times she’d see Rikku in a completely relaxed state, free from her usual frantic flurry.  
  
a quiet hum sounded from the Al Bhed woman, and she began to stir.  _there goes the peace…_  
  
“Paine?” she muttered the question as if she ever woke up disrobed with anyone  _else_. Rikku was, she guessed, still getting used to this ‘being married’ thing; her mind seemed to think it was one big dream (too good to be true.)   
  
a hand softly fell onto messy blonde locks, ruffling them affectionately. “who else?”   
  
“oh! of course it’s you,” she giggled, sitting up on an elbow to regard Paine with a sleepy, happy smile. “good morning, wifey.”  
  
Paine rolled her eyes. she didn’t know why Rikku had to add a cutesy suffix to everything, but at least it wasn’t ‘ _Paine-y_ ’. that would be awful. still, digits went to brush messy strands of dishelved gold from Rikku’s cheek, widening the young woman’s goofy smile. Paine found herself smiling softly, too.   
  
Rikku yawned loudly, rubbing her eyes. “it’s so early, Paine! what are you doing up?”   
  
“...admiring you.”  
  
Rikku looked like she was melting for a moment… but then a teasing grin spread over her cheeks. “ _aww_ …  **Paine**! who would have guessed Dr. P was such a romantic?”  
  
she shrugged, feeling the unfamiliar heat of a blush rising on her cheeks. Rikku’s teasing hit a nerve, she guessed. she really  _wasn’t_  romantic… or, she never had been  _before_. but things were different. different, with Rikku…  
  
she _could_  shoot back with a jest of her own, but… that was the _easy_ thing to do; hide her feelings behind a dry quip. Rikku challenged her... Rikku deserved better. “I’m not trying to romance you. it's called the **truth**.” she smirked, though. “I guess that's a foreign concept when you've been fawning over  _Gippal._ ” (she liked to bring up Rikku’s old school girl crush on their mutual friend; it always put Rikku in check.)  
  
Rikku sat up suddenly, cheeks puffed in a pout. “shhhh, Paine! we don’t talk about that!”  
  
Paine gave a huff of a laugh. Rikku’s gaze became thoughtful, and Paine watched her patiently, waiting to hear what was on her mind.   
  
“hey, Paine… did you ever get jealous?”  
  
a thin eyebrow rose. “of Gippal? he's a clown.” as a friend, and a companion in battle, he was great. but a potential love interest...? she nearly snorted.  
  
Rikku looked embarrassed, looking away when she realized how silly the question was. “oh… I guess you didn’t feel that way about me yet. sorry–!”  
  
“…I was,” Paine admitted. it took a lot to spill that secret.  _a lot_. and if Gippal ever found out, her patience would be sorely tested. but this was Rikku, and for her, she’d brave some embarrassment. "I was jealous. I wondered what you saw in him."  
  
Rikku’s face lit up. “ _really_?” Paine almost laughed. no matter her age, her maturity, her marital status… Rikku would forever be a young girl at heart. her idea of love was still grandiose, dramatic, and full of passion. _jealousy_ was romantic, to her. none of that... was really Paine’s strong suit. but Paine would indulge this for her, even if it hurt her pride a little. after all, it was true.  
  
“I wanted to punch him.”  
  
Rikku’s eyes twinkled at her happily. she was touched; honored to be worthy of someone’s jealousy, especially when that someone reserved such strong feelings for only a select few. she leaned forward to steal a kiss, relaxing into the arm’s of her lover. Paine pulled away slowly, letting the kiss linger on lips. Rikku gave a little whine, but didn’t demand another. she seemed to have something on her mind– something she wanted to say.   
  
“um, you know… I think I always had a crush on you, too. but **real**  feelings– not just a stupid Gippal thing, you know? I didn’t know it yet! but that’s why it made me so mad when you’d take away my respect points! I wanted you to think I was cool, like you..." she giggled. it sounded silly & ridiculous now… but she used to really care about Paine’s opinion of her.   
  
Paine smiled. she always knew that– that Rikku would try to impress her, sometimes. but she hadn’t known it was because of a _crush_. not even the notorious Dr. P had picked up on that. or maybe, she had, but just too scared, or doubtful of herself, to admit it. if someone had told her a year ago she’d be married to Rikku, it would be hard for her to believe it… hard to believe she’d ever say _yes_. sometimes, Rikku seemed to feel that same. “how ironic.”  
  
back to the old cryptic answers. Rikku gave a harsh poke to Paine’s side, then let her hand rest there. “don’t go all _riddle_ - _y_ on me, Dr. P! what'cha thinkin' about?”   
  
“we couldn't see what was right in front of us.”   
  
Rikku smiled, leaning her forehead against silver bangs, nuzzling noses sweetly. “I see you now. and you watch me when I’m sleeping, like a big weirdo, so… !”  
  
Paine blinked in an exasperated way. nobody really needed to know about _that--_ only Rikku. “not keeping secrets is a fast way to lose respect points…”  
  
“hah-- nice try, but I don’t care about those anymore! I think I maxed out respect points a long time ago; ya know, when you _married_ me!”  
  
“you’re right…” Paine sobered, letting her expression go serious. that always freaked Rikku out.   
  
“huh–? what are you planning–?!”  
  
“I need a new system. ‘love points’, maybe...”  
  
Rikku looked panicked, sitting up on her thighs to glare down at Paine defiantly. “what the heck–?! love’s not a currency, Paine! you can’t just take it away whenever you’re in one of your grumpy moods!”  
  
she smirked. “calm down. this is different. I’ve heard there’s studies… doctors say that positive reinforcement works better than punishment.“  
  
“huh…?” Rikku calmed down, sinking back into Paine’s embrace. “wait... so I get prizes instead?” now **that**  was an idea she liked. “what kinda prizes?”  
  
she met Rikku’s lips with a soft, meaningful kiss, a hand raising to cup her cheek. when she pulled away to see if this ‘prize’ was sufficient, she was rewarded with a half-lidded look of contented bliss from her wife.   
  
Rikku sighed, draping her arms around Paine’s neck. “you really are a big sap, Dr P... but I won’t tell anyone! I _promise_.” she gave a wink and a slight nudge, nipping playfully at Paine's lips, _expectantly_ … she was **not**  going to forget about this promise of ‘prizes’, especially if it came in the form of kisses.   
  
and in time, they found they both agreed with the findings: the experts were **right**... positive reinforcement really _did_  yield better results.


End file.
